Average reactor ending the serie : "Well that was a rollercoster, see you next time for a brand new reaction guys !!" Gigachad Alex : "chapter 1, Jayce's smille"
This. When I first saw Alex doing a reaction series, I was kinda surprised. But just via the first episode, you could tell this was on a whole other level. And with each episode and Alex getting more and more invested, it was a great series of videos to follow.
Oh yeah, another parallel: Jace and Victor are separated for a good chunk of time. What brings them both back to their sence of self and together (literally) is their ambitious causing the death of another person. Victor is reckless with the Hexcore and Sky loses her life as a result of that. Jace decides to take matters into his own hands and causes the death of an innocent child. The scene that follows between them is perfection. When Victor tells Jace to destroy 'it', Jace looks over at his hammer and agrees. The Victor specifies that he meant the Hexcore. Their journeys practically mirror each other's perfectly.
I find this parallel between Hextech and Shimmer interestingly funny Hextech, the fuel of Plitover's progress, took lives (Mylo, Clagger, Sky, the kid in the factory) whereas Shimmer, the cause of Zaun's regression into chaos, had been used to save lives (Healing Vi, supporting Viktor's 'evolution', Singed reviving Jinx)
But did shimmer regress Zaun? I think Zaun grew under Silco... it looked like a busier and more developed place. Ekko is just wrong about this, so is Vi
I don't think it's fair comparison because shimmer has shown to be mostly bad. You have addicts, it permantly damages your body, Vi mentioned that the "dumps/pit slums" weren't as worse before.
Also what a lot of people seem to misunderstand is that Sevika is loyal to the dream of nation of Zaun, not to a single person. The way she executed Finn right in front of Silco was to show him that needs to stop screwing around because he'll be next.
@@alexanderplatypus3664 Hard to say, she is a capable fighter but not necessarily a well versed leader. There might a new character that takes over (Most likely Jinx) or she might take over herself but it'll be her downfall. Ideally they combine both ideas and we get some sick Jinx vs. Sevika fight scenes. Pretty likely given how many times she's faced off with Vi this season.
The scene with Jayce and Silco is so fucking good. It appears at first that Silco was playing Jayce like a fiddle which is made apparent by Silco's dismissive and amused demeanor. Jayce knew exactly what he wanted and what he was willing to give up for peace. My eyes lit up when Jayce told Silco that his people wouldn't stand a chance. Though Silco was taken back by that statement, he remained composed and even made a joke out of it. When Jayce demanded Jinx, we know that the table has turned.
The irony here is that it is Jayce who fucked everything up for himself here so "who had who" lost any relevance. And even more ironic that the seed of this was planted in previous episode by no other than Vi, who in a sense is at a root of every tragedy and disaster of the story.
“Not for a worm like him, but he won’t be the last” I didn’t interpret that as a statement of solidarity, but as a warning to Silco. She was already upset about Silco straying from the cause, and if Finn had been a stronger, more purely motivated leader, she would have made a different choice. That was one of my favorite lines in the whole show. So much subtext and complexity packed into so few words. Every line of hers throughout the show was a banger. “No, you look weak” was another that said so much more than the word count would suggest.
25:55 This is why you are the best reaction channel for Arcane, managing to catch right away Silco's facial expression change and its meaning. Well done
2:16:20 "Make her go away". I think this is a callback to the story Vi tells Caitlin in episode 8... about when Vi would "chase away her own monsters" when they scared Powder. Caitlin is, to Jinx, the monster Vi created. Don't know if you get to that later on but I figured it was worth mentioning at this point.
Someone (schnee?) pointed out that two of Powder's colorful drawings of monsters in Vi and Powder's old home in ep. 6 are the ones described by Vi to Caitlyn on her bed in ep. 8...and strongly resemble two of the three filling her mind during the Vi/Silco argument in ep. 9.
1:39:50 - "Viktor gets a TASTE of not being crippled anymore, and he wants more," - OMG I just realized this is a huge theme, "Just a taste", from Episode 1 remember when Deckard told Vi he wanted "Just a taste" of their stolen loot? Everyone wants "Just a taste" of Shimmer, HexTech, and other forms of power in this series!
Seeing Silco’s downfall was such an amazing story and parallel to Vanders downfall as well it all just so perfect for me. So glad you started these reaction videos it’s interesting to see how you interpret this show. Can’t wait for AoT reactions it’ll be fun seeing what you think.
Some thoughts I have on Sevika's character that I'll preface by saying is a bit of conjecture and opinion on my part. I think Sevika may actually be old enough to have known Vander and Silco when they were together and may very well have been a part of their 'crew'. Her loyalty lies predominantly with the _cause_ and not to a particular individual. When whatever happened split the two 'brothers' she chose to go with Vander, thinking him the most capable of carrying through on their plans. When that turned out not to be the case she went to Silco. I think that is what drives Silco's dismissive behavior towards her is that underlying resentment for having gone to Vander initially. It gives what you pointed out in that scene with Finn all the more weight when you said Silco was actually speaking to her. He was. Basically telling her why he was still angry. She, in turn, with her final sentiments, reminded Silco that her loyalty still remains to the cause itself. Finn just wound up being a centerpiece to a conversation that was actually taking place between Silco and Sevika. I'd also like to include that you are by far the most attentive of the reactors I've seen so far (and I've seen plenty with my recent obsession with this show) actually picking up on the subtle animation details in the characters faces and connecting all the callbacks and payoffs from earlier episodes.
That's an interesting perspective on Sevika. It might be a good reason for why she sacrificed herself (or rather her arm) to save Silco from Powder's monkey bomb explosion.
One thing stood out to me, but is might be minor. Whenever Jinx is unstable she sees and hears milo and clagger tearing her further down. When Vi was on the ground in that gight she saw/heard Vander motivating/building her up. It's a really interesting parallel.
For vi those people are good for jinx they aren’t that’s why when u see vi saying their names in jinx head they turn into monsters because that’s how jinx’s feels that’s also why sadly vi isn’t good for jinx she doesn’t understand the extent of jinx’s mental state silco I would like to believe understood it better than vi does it’s sad really silco I’m the end was the one she held onto and made her feel safe she trusted him and loved him even after he lied to her she knew no matter what he was her person and that was confirmed in his last words “your perfect” not jinx is perfect and I believe that’s what jinx wished vi would feel but u can see that vi is some what disturbed by jinx hence why she don’t even acknowledge jinx at all when silco understand that jinx is powder and powder is jinx but jinx is who powder is CURRENTLY vi isn’t able to do that and it have been shown throughout the show it’s really sad because jinx is asking for vi to accept her with powder
Just an additional parallel I wanted to mention before it escapes my mind: Vi made a mistake that lead to the 'creation' of Jinx. This is practically the same as Vander betraying Silco and making him into who he was. In contrast, Silco did not repeat that mistake. His reaction to Jinx hurting him was the opposite of Vi's. She lashed out, blamed Powder and didn't comfort her when she needed it most. Silco on the other hand used his final words and dying breath to reassure Jinx. To free her from any sense of guilt she might feel. The last words he spoke will always haunt me: "YOU are perfect." He repeatedly said: "Jinx is perfect.", but not this time. It feels like he has given up on wanting her to be 'his' Jinx and just accepts his love for her, regardless of who she is/will end up being. These final moments are very important (to me at least) to cement Silco as not being a villain. He shows so much more compassion and selflessness to Jinx when she needed it most than Vi did. At the very end, he accepts Powder, while Vi never accepted Jinx. He makes Vi feel like more of a villain than him. I know that Silco is universally loved and acclaimed, but to me his final moments make him the most humane and caring character in all of Arcane and one of the best written characters of all time.
I love how you can figure out what the "Mylo-inside-Jinx's-Head" says during the table scene. Jinx had just given Vi the gun and asked her to make Cait "go away"... Vi says she can't and jinx takes the gun and points it at Cait to do what her sister said she couldn't do. Vi stops her and says "we can both go away" Jinx looks puzzled and says "where would we go?" The screen distorts as Mylo says "Something" and Jinx points the gun at the Mylo puppet and yells "That's not what she was talking about". Mylo said "Vi wants both of you to kill yourselves" Make both of you "Go Away"
2:51:28 Back when Silco was first introduced and we were already privy to Powder's abandonment issues, it was almost expected that Silco cursing/mocking Jinx with his dying breath is how we would arrive at the completely broken and chaos incarnate Jinx from the games. Not going for that obvious route and making his death a positive affirmation for Jinx to find acceptance and be assured of who she is was a superb move. Building him up as someone who loves and understands her that intimately even on his deathbed paid dividends.
Have not seen anyone that gets this show as quickly as you are. Impressive. Also nice to see your appreciation for Jayce while some tend to strongly dislike him because he is too much of a "winner" for their taste.
In a show full of underdogs, its easy to hate the popular kid. I think the writers always knew he'd have that syndrome, and it's sometimes hard to look past that. I love that Alec has helped me see the deeper side of Jayce. Excited for that Golden Boy analysis!
Jayce is a bully and egomaniac in the show. (In Acts 2 and 3) In act 1 Jayce is sympathetic. I'm pretty sure you are meant to dislike someone whose face is literally made into ads all over a city, and who kills a child
I was a little dismissive of Jayce on my first few watches of this show purely on my personal vibes from him, but the more I pay attention to him and his story, the more fascinating and sympathetic he gets.
The "make her go away" line is because of the game they used to play, the game that Vi told Caitlyn, where she used to keep the monsters away from Powder.
I also think that a big insight into how Vi sees Silco is when she goes to the council with Caitlyn. She says that he would never want peace and that they cannot deal with the situation diplomatically at all, which is shown to be not true in the end. Not that it is really her fault, but Vi can only see Silco as this evil person because she doesn't actually know him. Even in the end, I don't think that she sees how much Jinx also truly cares about Silco and that she wasn't simply being manipulated by him like she thought.
To be fair, for any outsider, it's hard to know, only Sevika could and even so, she chose to trust him, but Silco failed her. So yeah, anyone would see the same as Vi. Even own Zaunites.
Another thing/parallel, Mrs. Medarda(?) is the other side of the coin of “is there anything so undoing as a daughter,” but instead of sacrificing everything for her daughter, she sacrifices her daughter for everything else.
You might be interested in watching the official Enemy music video if you haven't already (even if you don't make a reaction video about it - though you could, at least with a lot of audio cut). It is animated in the same style as Arcane and has a lot of scenes that can give additional character insight, particularly about Powder/Jinx and her relationship with Ekko. Whether those scenes are are "canon" is debatable - some are clearly stylized or not part of the story (like when they show Vi's and Deckard's gangs hanging out together), but other scenes fit very plausibly into the story we've been told in Arcane.
I think the most important thing to take away from the talk with Jayce and Silco. Is that Silco thinks Jayce is "tipping his hand" because he's afraid of Zaun. Silco thinks everything he's built up to has panned out. But then the whole subversion is that yes, Jayce is indeed afraid, and wants to push this peace, but not for the reason Silco thinks. Jayce is afraid FOR Zaun, and it's actually Jayce's compassion and sympathy that is causing this deal to happen. Which I kind of find ironic. This just makes Jayce's character that much more special. In a world where two sides are fighting each other in a race to see who can "outscare" the other and who can become a bigger monster to stay "safe" in their own eyes. A young boy who's motives have maybe been the most pure of ANYONES in the show, is finally the one who sticks to his guns and uses "hextech to help others." and he involuntarily did. He made himself strong enough through hextech to be able to demand these things of Silco and create peace. Now of course, outside the confines of that conversation, it gets a bit more complicated. Silco would have never given Jinx up, and Jinx did what she did, but that doesnt change Jayce's motives, and what kind of person that reflects upon him. All in all, I thank you for your immense dedication to unpacking this show, and I'm so happy you shined a light on a character that I think many of us on surface level wrote off as simply being someone who got manipulated by everyone and never had any conviction of his own. I can now see that Jayce absolutely was a lot more than that to many people.
I think another awesome parallel to the war is Sevika VS Vi this episode. On one side we have hex tech/Piltover and on the other we have chemtech/Zaun. And in this case we see that Jayce is probably right, Hextech and Piltover would win but just like VI’s fight. It wouldn’t be easy and they would lose a lot doing it. Chemtech and the undercutting, although ultimately losing, would go down kicking and screaming.
Heimerdinger founded the city and is hundreds of years old. Time passes him by so quickly the last time he was in the undercity was probably long before the circumstances that led to the original rebellion were even there. To him that was probably like visiting last year. Ekko can probably help him bridge the gap he had with Viktor and Jayce. Because Jayce and Viktor were inside his systems and the part of society he oversaw and were likely unchanged for a long time before hextech.
Though I don't fully agree with the charater rank in the end and didn't finished all the content, your video really counts! What a deep analysis for Arcane
Yeah, another thing that's worth mentioning about Sevika's loyalty is that she also deeply values another aspect/trait of the person she sides with: a vision for the future. While Vander was a very good leader, talking to everyone, actually caring about them and their well being, he was only concerned about maintaining the status quo, and nothing more (like, take at look what he said in Episode 2 when Vi asked: "What are we going do?", he responded: "I donno. I'll figure it out."). I think this lack of vision is ultimately what drives her away from Vander's side (along with all the things you've mentioned), but this trait is also possessed by another chacacter: Finn. If you were to ask the question: 'Should Finn's plot became a reality, and he takes Silco's place, how much of the average Zaunite's life would change in any way?', I'd be hardpressed to find any answer at all. Finn only 'saw' until the moment Silco was killed, and never beyond that point in time, so, him being a man without an actual plan, made it quite obvious to Sevica (in my opinion) that he will not be a leader fit to realise her 'cause'. And finally, while I understand your point of view that she was never going to betray Silco, her facial expressions in that scene give me the sense that she was still contemplating what to do, even then. While killing Finn would be pretty easy for her (emotionally speaking), if she were to kill Silco along with him, that would made her the new leader of the underground, able to do basically whatever she wanted, and realise the nation of Zaun through her own means. However, she still respects Silco a lot, and while he doesn't always do what's best for the people of Zaun (like flooding the lanes with Shimmer, causing most Zaunites to become addicted and change for the worse), his devotion to the 'idea' of the nation of Zaun is still something she seems to admire deeply, especially over this small temptation of power (although, that being said, it's also true that she doesn't appear to have any desire for power at all, and/or that she seems to like her position as a foot soldier a whole lot more).
Jayce's smile is kind of similar to Powder's smile in episode 3, both thinking they have solved alot of their issues before knowing the damage they have caused, and both connected to a big boom (which in some way were caused by themselves). Also, in one additional meaning of "The monster You Created", Jayce makes Silco into a monster when he says they want Jinx.
As always great reaction. You are so analytical and insightful which makes your discussion so fun to listen to no matter how long they are l will miss this reactions. Jinx telling vi to make Caitlyn go away has a lot more emotional layers when you remember the story about monster's vi told Caitlyn in the previous episode. Vi said that she would chase away monster's for power and from Jinx's perspective enforcers are the monster's who have tormented her and the undercity since she was born. In fact the reason why she gaged Caitlyn and dressed her up in her enforcer outfit might have been to dehumanize her in vi's eyes. I also really like how this act kinda concluded like act 1. Things are going well for the good guys and then jinx uses hextech to blow everything up. In the end she was a jinx to everything and that's poetically melancholic. I also like how the rocket is modeled after a shark since silco loved sea monster's so jinx must have made this to gift to silco and in a beautifully messed up way as the new jinx she uses this gift to destroy the symbol of the undercity's haterade. Also if you think about it this series was about people and the weakness they have for there daughter's. 1.Vader chose to save vi instead of going to get revenge on silco. 2.silco wasn't willing to give up jinx even if it meant achieving his dream. 3. Mel's mother banished her because she could not stand the weakness she brought out of her. 4.Marcus didn't go against silco because of the risk it would bring to his daughter. 5.caitlyn's mother went to alot of lengths to keep her safe when she became an enforcer and l think at it core that was out of a sense of love.
i find it funny that in the dinner scene when jinx said to Vi "well i paid a visit to your girlfriend this morning" the first reflex of Violet was to look away because she thought Jinx killed Caitlyn. Even Jinx says she's not that crazy, it's a rather subtle sign but it just shows that Vi doesn't trust Jinx at all. On the other hand Silco never thought he would be killed, not even a split second. To me it shows just how much Silco trusted Jinx, even in the end he reassures her on his deathbed, it was just brilliant. While i might say otherwise, i don't think she actually loves the person Powder has become, she wanted her little sister back, but not the way she is now. Silco actually saw Jinx for what she had become, and she loved her. On his deathbed he didn't say "Jinx is perfect" but "YOU are perfect" it shows that in the end he didn't want to kill powder to have a sort of perfect version of Jinx, he wanted Jinx as she was, even with the powder side of her. Vi just wanted to kill the Jinx part of Powder, i don't think she sees any good in jinx, but Silco did, and he was killed for a love that might not even be there anymore, it's all the more tragic to me. While i agree that she would've tried to help her, i think her efforts might actually have been to try and change her to something closer to what she was 6 or 7 years ago, and i don't think it would've worked. In the end she would've loved powder, not Jinx.
I usually agree with you, but I got the exact opposite from the Sevika Scene. I saw that as a warning to Silco. That she was loyal to his cause, not to him. She could have easily handled Fin privately but she made a show of it in front of Silco. Making sure he knew she had the power to take his life. and the reply "Not for a worm like him, but there will be others." I read that as "He wasn't worth it, but someone else might be." I saw this as Sevika telling Silco to shape up.
Considering Silco's state at the start of the dinner scene, it's very probable that Jinx drowned him to unconsciousness... At the feet of Vander's statue.... Way to drive the betrayal home. And yet he still begs her to come back to him. And then she kills him. And he forgives her. Anyone might say that Silco had lost his soul, but he sure had a heart.
The saddest part is Silco probably thought she chose Vi over him (for obvious reasons) but he still choose to comfort her and tell her “YOU are perfect” not Jinx or Powder basically saying no matter who she is she will always be perfect for him. Plus I think the voice we hear in her head is Silco, making her monsters(Mylo, Clager, Vander) that have been tormenting her all this time disappear.
27:09 crazy that you caught the parallel between that line and what ekko said in episode 1. i haven't seen any reactor see that parallel yet but only people in the comment section lol.
3 hours of discussion/reaction for the finale? I am extremely excited for this final deep dive and know how im passing time at work today when its slow. I would argue Caitlyn did make a major choice. She could of killed jinx but didn't because her caring for vi and not just harming life. She's never shot to kill througout the show, even episode 5 when she could of clearly have taken sevika out she did not take that life
Yeah I dont think we give Caitlyn enough credit for "sticking to her guns" no pun intended. She's always stayed true to her morals and I think she should be commended for that, in a world where people are throwing their motives to the wayside for selfish reasons left and right.
me after spending more time watching the reaction & discussion than time spent on the actual show. As always great videos and awesome discussion.✨ on to season 2.
I've rewatched this entire reaction series twice now, and I have to say that out of ALLLLL the reactors I've watched (about 30ish), this one is the best. Its not even close.
Wow, what a journey this has been. I enjoyed your reactions and analyses so much and I’m so glad to see a reactor consistently give my favourite character some love. Yes, it’s Jayce, with Mel being a close second. There’s not a lot of us in this fandom, but after checking out some of your other videos (the one on Boromir), I can see that we share a similar appreciation for unpopular characters who have to face difficult choices. I’m really impressed just how many parallels you caught on the first watch because some of this stuff I only noticed on second or third rewatch. But I would just like to add another parallel to the ones you’ve pointed out. The choice Mel faces - the choice between two people she loves, her mother and Jayce - is very reminiscent of Jinx’s in a way. Here’s Jayce who accepts her fully, sees her for what she is and loves her unconditionally, and then there’s her mother who wants Mel to be someone else in order to be accepted. It’s a bit more ambiguous for Jinx because there’s still some remains of Powder inside, in spite Silco doing his damndest to fully empower the Jinx facet of her persona, but there can be no doubt that Vi isn’t ok with what Jinx stands for, she wants Powder only - someone that Jinx can never be. Similarly to how Mel can never be what her mother wants her to be. Really loved your note about what Jayce says to Mel in this episode: “I care about how you see me.” He wants to remain a man that’s worthy of her love. She chose him because of his idealism and desire to make the world a better place. He shows her just how much he values her and that he took all her lessons to heart by seeking an agreement with Silco. You can see in her expression just how shocked and touched she is by this, after all the conditions that her mother imposed on her. And before the rocket hits, you can see in the angle of her lips that she’s smiling back at him, probably the happiest and most openly emotional that she has ever allowed herself to be. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. Another interesting detail is that Jayce ends up killing a boy with technology inspired by the magic that saved his and his mother’s life when he was a boy about his age. And now here’s a mother who lost a son because of it. And Viktor ends up killing Sky, a Zaunite, one of the very people he sought to help with this tech for in the first place. Such dark twists of irony. Subscribing and really looking forward to returning to this channel with season 2!
@@ajgdude your reactions for this amazing series are amazing I hope all reactions were so real and passionate instead of faking and screaming "OMGGGG NO WAY!"
You should defiantly react to Castlevania, it has amazing characters a deep story and outstanding visuals. It is a western animation but has an anime style and i feel like it would bring a lot of in depth discussions. I highly recommend it!
Something interesting I've always found was then Jinx said "You've changed" to VI. Cause for the majority of the series, Vi has always been herself. She still is someone who wears a heart on her sleeve and very action oriented. In retrospect, I realize something that is clear to me of how Vi changed. Whenever Powder made a mistake, Vi was always there to reassure her that it was okay (Exception of Ep.3 ofc.). She continually defend Powder. However, when the question stated to Caitlyn of who made the bomb, Caitlyn wasn't the one who answered, Vi answered it was Jinx. I see it as a strong shift of her character cause this is her acknowledging that Jinx is causing too much harm. Despite dearly loving Powder, she is hesitant on Jinx. And I do say hesitant for overall I do believe Vi will love Jinx despite who she become, however she also recognized that Jinx is causing too much harm as well and will stop her if she needs to.
Also in act 1 all Powder saw was Vi being vehemently opposed to Piltover and out to fight them in any way(violence or simply stealing from them). Now Jinx sees Vi is willing caring for a 'Piltie' showing sympathy towards the 'enemy'. It's parallel to Mels backstory and how she's fallen for Jayce. Unable to be the Fox and the Wolf when the situation deems it. Vi has shifted from being a wolf towards Piltover, instead channeling that towards Zaun. There's dialogue that suggest she wasn't proud of where she came from(calling being down there as 'lesser'). Wanting to escape their, with no idea/consideration on how to work toward improvement; she has the same lack of vision as Vander. And the visuals of when she returns in ep 5 of looking down at The Last Drop. Juxtaposed to that of her looking up to Piltover at the end of ep 1. Signifies Vi aspirations being met only through the trauma she endured and the source of it; which in her perception is narrowed toward Silco, by extension The Underground. Even though there's more at play(harken back to her and Vander lacking greater perspective).
@@jonathanjohnson6727 Yep. Jinx sees Vi now as somebody who is more like... "a mature hero" and Jinx is a force of chaos striving for change. Younger Vi was also striving for change, that's what Jinx means I think. She understands Vi is her enemy.
Extremely cool detail: The Fishbone rocket launcher that Jinx is using at the climax somewhat symbolizes Silco in my opinion. He always had this fascination with the giant sea creatures living in the sea creatures in the waters of Zhaun, so Jinx building this Hextech-Chemtech-Weapon for Silco in the image of a shark seems to me like a nod to him. Edit: I read the part about Sevika telling Silco "This won't be the last (attempt to overthrow you)" a bit differently. I thought it to be a warning. Yes, I am loyal to you, but if a person worthy of my loyalty comes around and you keep slipping up, the outcome might be differet next time. Loved your indepht discussion tho, great understanding of narratives here.
Yeah, makes sense, since Silco's 'animal' that he's constantly associated with in the show is a Shark (just like how Jinx is always accociated with Ravens [meaning death and/or transformation], and Ekko with Firelights [symbolising how he's 'a light in the darkness' for Zaun]). A sea creature with very sharp teeth but a really fragile body, an absolutely perfect fit for Silco in my opinion.
I really enjoyed your reactions to Arcane and also like to listen to your talks about it afterwards too! As someone who already went into this show with pre-existing knowledge of Runeterra, it was interesting hearing the opinion of someone without any Your interpretation about Noxus is spot on. Even though this season never directly showed Noxus (we did get a glipse of it in Mel's painting though), Mel's mother is the perfect representation of what Noxus is all about. As for the Hex Core, there is a theory that the Hex Core and Shimmer are connected to something that has not been mentioned in the show yet, and I will not mention it here for potential spoiler reasons, and I' really interested if this theory turn out to be true because I fully believe it until the show gives me any reason to think otherwise And I want to add my view on the dinner table scnen: The way I see it, Vi is not able to accept Jinx the way she is now. Vi wants the old Powder back, but you can't just revert someone by 7 years. Vi has to come to terms with who Jinx is now for them to get closer. Jinx tested everyone at that table, first Vi, then Silco and lastly Caitlyn. When Jinx "made her a snack" she tested what Vi thought of her. If Vi still believed in her sister than she wouldn't have looked away when Jinx revealed the cupcake, but she did, showing that Vi has no trust in her just making a harmless joke. Then Vi refused to make Caitlyn "go away" (phrased in a way like with the imaginary monsters when they were children), it showed that Jinx isn't Vi's first and only priority anymore. Yes, it is cruel of Jinx to ask Vi to kill Caitlyn, but in her mind it's the only way to be sure that she is the most important person in Vi's life. In conclusion: Vi failed the test twice. Then she tests Silco, and despite her kipnapping him, the first thing he does is to tell her how much she means to him and that he will never betray her. He also shows how much trust he has in her by not trying to escape even once. He easily passes this test. Then Caitlyn. After Caitlyn frees herself and tells Jinx to drop her gun, Jinx raises her pistol but does not shot. to which Caitlyn fires some warning shots. Jinx realises that Caitlyn didn't fire at her, she puts down her pistol and raises her hands. If Caitlyn would have lowered her gun here, the situation may have been defused at least a bit. But she didn't, so Jinx rushed in for an attack, knocking her out. Caitlyn failed the test. Silco's last words are the only thing she needed to hear. That she is perfect just the way she is. Something that she would not have gotten from Vi. This solidifies her that she is Jinx. But I don't think that Powder will ever be fully gone. Powder and Jinx two sides of the same coin now. By the way her rocket launcher is called Fishbones. As for other shows to react to, I think The Witcher or Castlevania are a good point to start.
I have watched many Arcane reactions, and I rarely ever watch the ones which go over 30 minutes, but it was an absolute pleasure to finish this series with you. With your excellent observations, your calm demeanor, and your strong emotional attachment to the characters. It is also rare that I actually learn anything new watching these reactions, but you noticed many things I didn't even realize. Great stuff
3 hours and 50% battery life and this amazing reaction series has come to a close. I think it's very safe to say you did the final episode and show as a whole justice. At this point I'm almost out of words. You've heard all the praises, nothings changed on that front :) I have to say that I'm obviously looking forward to your main channel Arcane content, as well as other reactions in the future. I don't have anything that could live up to the standard of Arcane in mind right now, but how can we let you know suggestions for reactions going forward? Now excuse me, I've got to rewatch the reaction itself and bawl my eyes out at that ending sequince once more :P
I’ve yet to watch the full reaction(will probably do so in the next few days). So you’ve probably mentioned this. There’s a cool parallel between the first and the last scenes of the show. In the first scene, Vi sees the destruction brought by the enforcers and then looks at the council room with a look of hate in her eyes. In the last scene, Jinz/Powder acts out on that hate and fires a rocket to the symbol of their hatred. But both Vi and Powder/Jinx have changed. Vi isn’t the hate filled person she was in the first scene. In fact she’s pretty much worked with the enforcers since Act 2. While Powder/Jinx isn’t the little girl that turns her eyes from the carnage. But can you blame her? Everybody in her life pushed hard for war with Pilltover. Except Vander really. Look at episode 2, Vi and Mylo are really looking forward to a war there. Powder never got the same treatment from Vander as Vi did. From her POV, Vi spent all her life hating enforcers and when she sees her back, she is in bed with them.
Great reaction and insights into the characters, thank you. I'm not really surprised by your ranking, you made it clear that Jayce is the most interesting character for you throughout your other videos. :) My personal top 5 are Jinx, Vi, Silco, Caitlyn (the characters around whom most of the Undercity action was centered), Viktor. For #6 I'm split between Jayce and Ekko. On my first time watching I was a bit dismissive of Jayce, but he grew on me over time (at first he did not seem to have too much agency; Vi put it bluntly: a victim, i.e., a passenger driven by outside forces). For Jinx I feel the biggest emotional attachment, and I thought her to be the most interesting character. And I very much liked the dynamic between Vi and Caitlyn.
Oh boy, let's get into this behemoth of a video. I was a bit intimated by the length at first, but quickly concluded that a 3,5 hour video is exactly the kind of send-off this amazing show deserves. See you on the other side xD
3 hours?? AWESOME lol. it’s been a great ride man, you made mondays a day to look forward to. i’m definitely sticking around the channel so i can’t wait to see what comes next!
Wonderful analysis. Thank you for the entire series. Just one point. You alluded to but did not state the flip side to Jinx being "The Monster You Created" is the Hexcore. And both influenced by both Hextech and Shimmer. Jinx steals a Hextech gem and creates a Hextech weapon, and is healed but made more unstable by Shimmer. And the Hexcore created of Hextech and Victor's Shimmer laced blood.
Your analysis is truly a breath of fresh air, you've been so perceptive of the most minute yet profound details that many of us missed the first time (or first few times) watching. What I most appreciate is your in-depth analysis of Silco's nuanced character. Just fantastic. You pointed out so many intriguing parallels...I loved all 3 hours of this video.
I think this new anime called Ousama Ranking would make for brilliant reaction content. The show's character work and overall plotting has been phenomenal so far.
I mean the fact that i'm definite on finishing such a behemoth of a video just tells you how much AJ's content is TOP TIER especially when he's THAT invested into a series
Sevika seems to respect STRENGTH above all else -- remember her parting words to Vander, "No, you look WEAK." Sevika wouldn't change allegiance for "A worm like [Finn]", which hints that if someone stronger than Silco came along as a champion/leader for the cause of "The Nation of Zaun" -- then she will likely work for that person. I can see her getting along with Momma Medarda (if she survives the bomb), as you said they are both wolves, but I'm not sure if their interests will align.
They definitely don't align at all I'm not sure where Sevika goes from here, either she takes over or there's a new leader but then her being the assistant again might feel repetitive
Phenomenal series Alec, your reactions/analysis have really elevated this already magnificent show for me, and your enjoyment of the process makes it all the more worthwhile. Challenging yourself like this is healthy, so the reception you've recieved warms my heart. I'm sure whatever show you decide to take on next will prove worthwhile as well, no matter if it exceeds Arcane or not. If you want suggestions, I'd recommend "The Legend of Vox Machina" which is airing at the moment because I personally find the character nuances appealing, though I'm sure there are other shows that could fit your requirements even better. Godspeed, and many thanks for sharing!
There we have it. I would go as far as calling this series a masterpiece and it’s certainly not a word than should be just thrown around. A series that grows richer on a rewatch. A series that actually needs a rewatch to fully grasp the complexities. There’s so little fat on this series, everything has a relevance or a connection to everything else. I appreciate your attention on Sevika, an increasingly interesting character, often just wrongly dismissed as a simple villain by many other commentators.
37:15 So uh I think I recognize the beard on that corpse Singed has hanging there. I'm glad you seem as interested in Heimerdingers interactions with Ekko as I am. I was actually chuckling when you were suspicious of him going to the Undercity because Heimerdinger is the one character in this show utterly bereft of guile. Others go to the opera to plot, Heimer goes...because he likes opera music. So when Jayce says he doesn't know what happens in the Undercity he goes "surely it can't be as bad as all that, I was just there the other day...or was it the other decade?" It's been a ton of fun seeing a non League fan go through this series. There are some cool things you'll get if you know the game but it's a distraction as often as it's a bonus. You can miss some important stuff waiting for the character to do this or that thing from the game. This has been an amazing series and an immensely entertaining reaction series. There are contradictions between this and game lore and I hope they just yeet the old lore and say Arcane is canon, they've done larger lore remakes for less reason. Anyway the rest of this comment is just a game lore vs Arcane lore not mentioning anything that could spoil a future season 2. Zaun technically should have become a nation around the time the riot in the opening scene of the show happened if not a bit sooner for example. But having it come into being in the formative years of our main cast is so good. Stanwick is a statue of a failed scientist that founded a school that let others triumph rather than being the headmaster of the academy that's still kicking, I like this better as Heimerdinger fufills our traditional scientist role and having him talk about a dead colleague also drives in his long life and how out of touch this makes him. The one thing I do wish they hadn't done was remove Jayce's arrogance almost completely. After inventing hextech Jayce went about peacocking more and more. Golden Boy was a term that started with his encouragement not with him letting it mostly wash over him. It took until an event where hextech took lives for him to become more grounded and step up.
One parallel that isn't commented on is silco and vi, as silcos arc is a much more played out version of vi's in the first two episodes. When vi first learns that Vander is working with an enforcer, she berates him and proclaims that vander should fight for equality even if it means fighting enforcers. Vander stops her by showing her the bridge and asking if she's ready to bear the losses that would come from an uprising, and I got that they were talking about losing powder. This caused her to go off that path and try to turn herself in, giving up the idea of an uprising for the sake of powder. In this episode, silco, who also lost respect for vander for making a deal with enforcers, when faced with losing the same person, tries to shoulder the blame, and then gives up his goal of forcing equality for the sake of jinx. And like vi, this restores his respect for vander
Watching your reaction and hearing your thoughts is an experience. Your attention to details, as well as ability to see the bigger picture of the show, remember characters and follow arc of each of them, and, of course, the way you present your thoughts are second to none. Thank you. Not only have you provided me the way to re-live my experience of watching this amazing show fully, but you've opened my eyes on certain aspects of it that I overlooked, none of the reacting people on youtube managed to do that in such way. I feel a bit guilty even to get that for free, I'll pay visit to your patreon page, although I never use that. Once again, thank you for sharing this. P.S. If you're not making a good salary on the way you can analyse and explain - you definitelly should. You have a talent for this.
I’m making money on my main channel, though not on this one now that the Arcane reactions are done. It’s definitely not a good salary but it’s equivalent to a part-time job or something. Glad you enjoyed the reactions, thanks for the kind words!
the way sevika directly confronted Vander at the start was some real shit. not going with silco would be betraying herself. Plus shes simply cool and is always ready to throw down
I've seen a lot of reactions with the closed captions on. Now for the first time I notice a grave oversight. Sting's song at the end, is basically the only commentary to the scene which runs almost completely without dialogue. Yet instead of actually captioning the lyrics for the hearing impaired the only thing the captions have to say is [Somber Music plays]. A bit weak of them to forget that, isn't it?
This is the only reaction series I watch. It’s amazing and so detailed. I would love to here some character studies on the main channel if you see fit. Take care and have a great year.
I can go through this >3h longitud without any trouble. This is what I've been waiting for . BTW, I think most of us were as emotional as you when we reached the end. Sylco is a villain, but here ,you see, he was also able to love and that made him more human.
out of all the reactors for arcane i must say i found myself drawn to your reactions the most, very satisfying to watch someone grasp so many little details from the get-go! now im not sure if you mentioned this already somewhere, but there are sure videos about arcane to come on your main channel right?
I can't figure a way to say it as well, so here's a comment from another video. ReelRai 5 months ago Silco blew me away in this series. He's one of the best villains I remember in a looooong time. He started out as a hideous villain. Someone who hated Vander for leaving the cause. And throughout the series we're not sure, if his care for Jinx is geniune or if he's just playing her, using her for his needs. I'm sure in the beginning, Silco just wanted to use her, and saw a little bit of himself in her. But by the end... oh damn. Silco is in the same position as Vander was and... he understands. He can't give up Jinx for Zaun. Zaun that he has worked his entire life to achieve, all undone by a daughter. Vi loved Powder, and wanted Powder back. But Powder changed, and there was nothing but Jinx left. The only one who unconditionally loved Jinx, was Silco, and I think that's what the end scene is about. Jinx wanted Vi to love her, love what she had become, love Jinx. But after killing Silco she realizes he was the only one who really cared for her, no matter what she had become, and thus Jinx chose to sat on the Jinx chair. It's a twisted father-daughter relationship, but goddamn if it isn't well done, and goddamn if I didn't tear up when Silco died. Personally, Jinx is my favorite character.
I've been loving your reactions and insights to this series. I enjoyed watching this show affect you as you watched. I was wondering if it would after you stated (paraphrased from an earlier episode) that you weren't going to be a particularly animated reactor. When Jinx is talking to Vi about how she created Jinx, I've always looked at it like Vi was supportive(in Jinx's head) and helped build her up. As if she continued to support her like when they were together. Jinx looks at her current personality as a strength that helps her survive.
Love that you were reppin´ a united hoodie! And thanks for the AOT stream on Twitch today, it was the first time I´ve really hung out in a stream for more than 2 hours! Super enjoyable experience and it´s always fantastic to hear your thoughts and analysis! Excited to keep watching and partaking!
Awesome reaction man! It's been a delight watching you. Also just wanted to say, don't apologize for the show moving you or getting emotional because of it, it just shows you are into the show you're watching and appreciate what they're doing man!
When you talked about how after the child’s death and conflict with Vi concerning that and jayce made his first real decision by himself. It’s a thing to point out unlike everyone else in his corner Vi and Zaun are not who he spend/spent all his time trying to impress and even really cares for.
I’m a little late to the party on this reaction lol, but I absolutely loved your analysis! I hope to see more reaction/analysis videos from you. Maybe movies too if you want to do in depth reactions on something that don’t take up too much of your time??
I watched this episode maybe 30 times and every time i lose the fight vs. my tears. This never happend 2 me, no other show, no movie or what ever hurts me like Arcane. But its the best thing i ever saw - its just a masterpiece There are no boring characters, not a single one, i love them all....what n amazing storytelling (sry4my bad english)
You can watch my reactions to Attack on Titan early on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr For more informal content and streams, you can follow me on Twitch: www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/ Quick correction: I pretty much misinterpreted a scene in the episode - Sevika's words to Silco should be interpreted as a veiled threat for him to get his shit together for reasons I described when I talked about why she left Vander. This is the far more accurate reading of that scene than I proposed in the video.
Don't know if you've seen any of theses: Bleach(it'll be making its highly anticipated return), ATLA or Castlevania. After AOT of course Regardless, thank you for theses deep dives and expansive looks into Arcane.
Vi repeatedly betrayed Powder/Jinx. She turned over Jinx in less than a second to the council, every opportunity she had to stay by powder/jinx she didn't, she always choose something else over powder/jinx. Vi always lied that powder was her first priority, she lied to herself and everyone else, but every opportunity she had to prove it without literally being tied to a chair, she didn't. Silco never betrayed anyone, especially not Jinx. He stood up for her against all of his allies and enemies, even though he dressed her down in private to reign her in. Loyalty is so powerful, but you can never undo a betrayal, you can never undo abandonment. Vi and Jayce started an attack on Silco, Jayce left Vi armed with his weapons in Silco's territory while calling for Parley. Jayce says that he saw that the undercity wouldn't stand a chance. Woof, boy is he naive. If Silco had outright rejected the opportunity, Jayce would have armed the upper city soldier with all his hextec weapons and invaded the undercity... and found it deserted, when they emerged he would have found the uppercity occupied by shimmer infused undercitizens, all of the uppercity citizens captured and held ransom... Remember Markus betrayed the Uppercity, not because of what they could give him, but because of what they could take away from him. There was nothing the uppercity was willing to give the lower city that they could not take, and there was nothing more they could take from them. The Undercity had now taken the upper hand. Indolence, indifference, and baleful neglect was the undoing of the uppercity of Piltover.
Thank you for this series of videos. It was very, very entertaining to listen to. I'll definitely donate to your PayPal in the coming couple days. I think you deserve it for all the effort put in and the entertainment provided. Beautiful work. My favorite character is also Jayce by quite a huge margin. Not sure how with so much praise this ranks only in the 50s of all fiction you've consumed (can't imagine what else is on the list since for me Arcane is either the number 1 or number 2 of all time despite only having 1 season - granted I've played League of Legends for 9 years and this affected me very personally). This season was definitely about Jinx and Silco's story. They are pretty much the only characters with a complete arc. And since I'm here already, I'd like to mention one last tragic thing about Jinx: Imagine losing your parents in a civil war, being taken in, cared for and loved, personally resulting in the death of your father figure and then being taken in, cared for and loved, and again resulting in the death of your subsequent father figure. Jinx lost four parents in the span of this series, the last two being of her direct actions and in front of her. The amount of of turmoil in the mental health this has is just unbelievable. Kudos to the writers. So long Powder. The name of the Shark Bazooka is Fishbones, her minigun is Pow-Pow (never had any significance until episode 6 of Arcane), Zapper is her handgun and the grenades are Flame Chompers. This is not official in Arcane but it is according to the canon lore of Runeterra (the world of the characters of LoL) and the game itself. Thanks again for the great entertainment. Love the length of the video. A positive MauLer :]
Hear me out: What if she fully committed to being Jinx because she knew if she went back to being Powder, to being by her side , she could put Vi at risk of also being killed by her, which she fundamentally doesn't want. I'm saying that because I do think Jinx does deeply love Vi, even in her weird fucked up way.
Hmm... I don't know. She did shoot at Caitlyn when she was right by Vi? On the bridge I think Jinx understands Vi will never be like her, Vi wants "stability" and "protection" and Jinx wants "radical change"
What is Zaun but a city of loyalty, abandoned by its bigger sibling over a tragic event? Abandoning Jinx would never be in favor of Silco's dream, regardless of what Jayce could offer, Jinx IS the dream. Silco offered his own life for hers, literally to die for his dream, but Jayce didn't even haggle, it has Piltover's way or no way; the same way that Vander and Vi were ok with, which Silco felt so betrayed by. What Jinx asked Vi to do was unfair, but it was also what Vander refused to do: fight against Piltover, the decision was between the child at the bottom of Piltover, or the monster at the top of Zaun. Silco loves Jinx, Silco loves Zaun, but you can't have Zaun if you'd sacrifice your family for it, even Vander understood that. And after that, what could Silco do but be ok with his dream killing him?
Super late commenter here, but I'm so glad I found this reaction! I haven't finished yet, paused at where Jinx makes her choice at the end. I wanted to know your thoughts, because I've had a theory ever since I saw this episode. I think if Silco had killed Vi with his shot, she would have sat in the Powder chair. I think she set herself up for a lose-lose here. Thoughts? You might talk about it later, but had to comment~ Thanks for an awesome reaction!
Something another youtuber pointed out was that powder's eyes are grey and jinx's eyes are blue, I haven't fully tested this yet but it seems to hold up from what I have seen!
0:10 - Intro
5:45 - Episode title analysis
6:05 - Episode 1 title
6:55 - Episode 2 title
7:45 - Episode 3 title
8:20 - Episode 4 title
9:05 - Episode 5 title
11:25 - Episode 6 title
13:15 - Episode 7 title
14:25 - Episode 8 title
15:30 - Episode 9 title
17:05 - Reaction start
38:25 - Discussion start
40:30 - Jayce's smile
44:30 - Which episode was who's
45:00 - Episode summary
47:00 - Sevika discussion
1:01:40 - Miss Medarda discussion
1:09:25 - Heimerdinger & Ekko discussion
1:15:20 - Mel Medarda discussion
1:26:40 - Caitlyn discussion
1:29:10 - Vi discussion
1:35:30 - Viktor discussion
1:50:00 - Jayce discussion
2:06:35 - Singed discussion
2:08:35 - Ending montage moments
2:10:35 - Jinx discussion
2:30:40 - Heimerdinger discussion
2:32:05 - Jayce discussion
2:33:25 - Silco discussion
2:42:00 - Viktor's vs Silco's choice
2:44:45 - Silco discussion
2:46:40 - Silco-Vander parallel
2:48:40 - Silco discussion
2:53:40 - Discussion outro
3:00:20 - Ranking the episodes
3:01:15 - Character tier list
3:01:55 - D-tier
3:02:30 - D+-Tier
3:03:50 - C-tier
3:09:55 - B-tier
3:13:00 - A-tier
3:15:45 - S-tier
3:18:55 - SS-tier
3:23:00 - SSS-tier
3:25:25 - Outro
I sincerely hope this is of some help, it took an hour to make xD
Thanks so much! I appreciate it a ton, I’ll pin it tomorrow!
Average reactor ending the serie : "Well that was a rollercoster, see you next time for a brand new reaction guys !!"
Gigachad Alex : "chapter 1, Jayce's smille"
This. When I first saw Alex doing a reaction series, I was kinda surprised. But just via the first episode, you could tell this was on a whole other level. And with each episode and Alex getting more and more invested, it was a great series of videos to follow.
It's great.
Oh yeah, another parallel:
Jace and Victor are separated for a good chunk of time. What brings them both back to their sence of self and together (literally) is their ambitious causing the death of another person. Victor is reckless with the Hexcore and Sky loses her life as a result of that. Jace decides to take matters into his own hands and causes the death of an innocent child.
The scene that follows between them is perfection. When Victor tells Jace to destroy 'it', Jace looks over at his hammer and agrees. The Victor specifies that he meant the Hexcore. Their journeys practically mirror each other's perfectly.
Based, take my like
I find this parallel between Hextech and Shimmer interestingly funny
Hextech, the fuel of Plitover's progress, took lives (Mylo, Clagger, Sky, the kid in the factory)
whereas Shimmer, the cause of Zaun's regression into chaos, had been used to save lives (Healing Vi, supporting Viktor's 'evolution', Singed reviving Jinx)
🤯
😳
BRO STOP YOU ARE BLOWING THE SHIT OUTTA MAH MIND-
But did shimmer regress Zaun? I think Zaun grew under Silco... it looked like a busier and more developed place. Ekko is just wrong about this, so is Vi
I don't think it's fair comparison because shimmer has shown to be mostly bad. You have addicts, it permantly damages your body, Vi mentioned that the "dumps/pit slums" weren't as worse before.
Also what a lot of people seem to misunderstand is that Sevika is loyal to the dream of nation of Zaun, not to a single person. The way she executed Finn right in front of Silco was to show him that needs to stop screwing around because he'll be next.
I agree, do you think Sevika will lead Zaun herself now?
@@alexanderplatypus3664 Hard to say, she is a capable fighter but not necessarily a well versed leader. There might a new character that takes over (Most likely Jinx) or she might take over herself but it'll be her downfall. Ideally they combine both ideas and we get some sick Jinx vs. Sevika fight scenes. Pretty likely given how many times she's faced off with Vi this season.
@@anitaremenarova6662guys I’m from the future and y’all were right
The scene with Jayce and Silco is so fucking good. It appears at first that Silco was playing Jayce like a fiddle which is made apparent by Silco's dismissive and amused demeanor.
Jayce knew exactly what he wanted and what he was willing to give up for peace. My eyes lit up when Jayce told Silco that his people wouldn't stand a chance. Though Silco was taken back by that statement, he remained composed and even made a joke out of it. When Jayce demanded Jinx, we know that the table has turned.
Yeah, Silco totally thought he had Jayce until the "Get me Jinx, and I'll give you your nation of Zaun."
The irony here is that it is Jayce who fucked everything up for himself here so "who had who" lost any relevance. And even more ironic that the seed of this was planted in previous episode by no other than Vi, who in a sense is at a root of every tragedy and disaster of the story.
“Not for a worm like him, but he won’t be the last”
I didn’t interpret that as a statement of solidarity, but as a warning to Silco. She was already upset about Silco straying from the cause, and if Finn had been a stronger, more purely motivated leader, she would have made a different choice.
That was one of my favorite lines in the whole show. So much subtext and complexity packed into so few words.
Every line of hers throughout the show was a banger. “No, you look weak” was another that said so much more than the word count would suggest.
I clarified this in the pinned comment.
@@ajgdude I loved the deep dive you gave of her character!
Sevika is so cool, and you would never expect it from how she started the show in act 1
25:55 This is why you are the best reaction channel for Arcane, managing to catch right away Silco's facial expression change and its meaning. Well done
2:16:20 "Make her go away". I think this is a callback to the story Vi tells Caitlin in episode 8... about when Vi would "chase away her own monsters" when they scared Powder. Caitlin is, to Jinx, the monster Vi created. Don't know if you get to that later on but I figured it was worth mentioning at this point.
Someone (schnee?) pointed out that two of Powder's colorful drawings of monsters in Vi and Powder's old home in ep. 6 are the ones described by Vi to Caitlyn on her bed in ep. 8...and strongly resemble two of the three filling her mind during the Vi/Silco argument in ep. 9.
1:39:50 - "Viktor gets a TASTE of not being crippled anymore, and he wants more," - OMG I just realized this is a huge theme, "Just a taste", from Episode 1 remember when Deckard told Vi he wanted "Just a taste" of their stolen loot? Everyone wants "Just a taste" of Shimmer, HexTech, and other forms of power in this series!
Seeing Silco’s downfall was such an amazing story and parallel to Vanders downfall as well it all just so perfect for me. So glad you started these reaction videos it’s interesting to see how you interpret this show. Can’t wait for AoT reactions it’ll be fun seeing what you think.
Some thoughts I have on Sevika's character that I'll preface by saying is a bit of conjecture and opinion on my part. I think Sevika may actually be old enough to have known Vander and Silco when they were together and may very well have been a part of their 'crew'. Her loyalty lies predominantly with the _cause_ and not to a particular individual. When whatever happened split the two 'brothers' she chose to go with Vander, thinking him the most capable of carrying through on their plans. When that turned out not to be the case she went to Silco. I think that is what drives Silco's dismissive behavior towards her is that underlying resentment for having gone to Vander initially. It gives what you pointed out in that scene with Finn all the more weight when you said Silco was actually speaking to her. He was. Basically telling her why he was still angry. She, in turn, with her final sentiments, reminded Silco that her loyalty still remains to the cause itself. Finn just wound up being a centerpiece to a conversation that was actually taking place between Silco and Sevika.
I'd also like to include that you are by far the most attentive of the reactors I've seen so far (and I've seen plenty with my recent obsession with this show) actually picking up on the subtle animation details in the characters faces and connecting all the callbacks and payoffs from earlier episodes.
That's an interesting perspective on Sevika. It might be a good reason for why she sacrificed herself (or rather her arm) to save Silco from Powder's monkey bomb explosion.
One thing stood out to me, but is might be minor. Whenever Jinx is unstable she sees and hears milo and clagger tearing her further down. When Vi was on the ground in that gight she saw/heard Vander motivating/building her up. It's a really interesting parallel.
For vi those people are good for jinx they aren’t that’s why when u see vi saying their names in jinx head they turn into monsters because that’s how jinx’s feels that’s also why sadly vi isn’t good for jinx she doesn’t understand the extent of jinx’s mental state silco I would like to believe understood it better than vi does it’s sad really silco I’m the end was the one she held onto and made her feel safe she trusted him and loved him even after he lied to her she knew no matter what he was her person and that was confirmed in his last words “your perfect” not jinx is perfect and I believe that’s what jinx wished vi would feel but u can see that vi is some what disturbed by jinx hence why she don’t even acknowledge jinx at all when silco understand that jinx is powder and powder is jinx but jinx is who powder is CURRENTLY vi isn’t able to do that and it have been shown throughout the show it’s really sad because jinx is asking for vi to accept her with powder
Just an additional parallel I wanted to mention before it escapes my mind:
Vi made a mistake that lead to the 'creation' of Jinx. This is practically the same as Vander betraying Silco and making him into who he was.
In contrast, Silco did not repeat that mistake. His reaction to Jinx hurting him was the opposite of Vi's. She lashed out, blamed Powder and didn't comfort her when she needed it most. Silco on the other hand used his final words and dying breath to reassure Jinx. To free her from any sense of guilt she might feel. The last words he spoke will always haunt me: "YOU are perfect."
He repeatedly said: "Jinx is perfect.", but not this time. It feels like he has given up on wanting her to be 'his' Jinx and just accepts his love for her, regardless of who she is/will end up being.
These final moments are very important (to me at least) to cement Silco as not being a villain. He shows so much more compassion and selflessness to Jinx when she needed it most than Vi did. At the very end, he accepts Powder, while Vi never accepted Jinx. He makes Vi feel like more of a villain than him.
I know that Silco is universally loved and acclaimed, but to me his final moments make him the most humane and caring character in all of Arcane and one of the best written characters of all time.
I love how you can figure out what the "Mylo-inside-Jinx's-Head" says during the table scene. Jinx had just given Vi the gun and asked her to make Cait "go away"... Vi says she can't and jinx takes the gun and points it at Cait to do what her sister said she couldn't do. Vi stops her and says "we can both go away" Jinx looks puzzled and says "where would we go?" The screen distorts as Mylo says "Something" and Jinx points the gun at the Mylo puppet and yells "That's not what she was talking about". Mylo said "Vi wants both of you to kill yourselves" Make both of you "Go Away"
2:51:28 Back when Silco was first introduced and we were already privy to Powder's abandonment issues, it was almost expected that Silco cursing/mocking Jinx with his dying breath is how we would arrive at the completely broken and chaos incarnate Jinx from the games.
Not going for that obvious route and making his death a positive affirmation for Jinx to find acceptance and be assured of who she is was a superb move. Building him up as someone who loves and understands her that intimately even on his deathbed paid dividends.
Have not seen anyone that gets this show as quickly as you are. Impressive. Also nice to see your appreciation for Jayce while some tend to strongly dislike him because he is too much of a "winner" for their taste.
In a show full of underdogs, its easy to hate the popular kid. I think the writers always knew he'd have that syndrome, and it's sometimes hard to look past that. I love that Alec has helped me see the deeper side of Jayce. Excited for that Golden Boy analysis!
Jayce is a bully and egomaniac in the show. (In Acts 2 and 3)
In act 1 Jayce is sympathetic. I'm pretty sure you are meant to dislike someone whose face is literally made into ads all over a city, and who kills a child
I was a little dismissive of Jayce on my first few watches of this show purely on my personal vibes from him, but the more I pay attention to him and his story, the more fascinating and sympathetic he gets.
@@alexanderplatypus3664 I know this a year later, but what show did you watch? How tf was he a bully in act 2 and 3?
The "make her go away" line is because of the game they used to play, the game that Vi told Caitlyn, where she used to keep the monsters away from Powder.
I also think that a big insight into how Vi sees Silco is when she goes to the council with Caitlyn. She says that he would never want peace and that they cannot deal with the situation diplomatically at all, which is shown to be not true in the end. Not that it is really her fault, but Vi can only see Silco as this evil person because she doesn't actually know him. Even in the end, I don't think that she sees how much Jinx also truly cares about Silco and that she wasn't simply being manipulated by him like she thought.
Yeah Vi is hotheaded with poor judgement, and leaps to conclusions off a faulty "gut", this is shown throughout
To be fair, for any outsider, it's hard to know, only Sevika could and even so, she chose to trust him, but Silco failed her.
So yeah, anyone would see the same as Vi. Even own Zaunites.
Another thing/parallel, Mrs. Medarda(?) is the other side of the coin of “is there anything so undoing as a daughter,” but instead of sacrificing everything for her daughter, she sacrifices her daughter for everything else.
I really admire an analysis by a non-league lore enthusiast, seeing other perspectives is always welcome, really good analysis
You might be interested in watching the official Enemy music video if you haven't already (even if you don't make a reaction video about it - though you could, at least with a lot of audio cut). It is animated in the same style as Arcane and has a lot of scenes that can give additional character insight, particularly about Powder/Jinx and her relationship with Ekko. Whether those scenes are are "canon" is debatable - some are clearly stylized or not part of the story (like when they show Vi's and Deckard's gangs hanging out together), but other scenes fit very plausibly into the story we've been told in Arcane.
I think the most important thing to take away from the talk with Jayce and Silco. Is that Silco thinks Jayce is "tipping his hand" because he's afraid of Zaun. Silco thinks everything he's built up to has panned out. But then the whole subversion is that yes, Jayce is indeed afraid, and wants to push this peace, but not for the reason Silco thinks. Jayce is afraid FOR Zaun, and it's actually Jayce's compassion and sympathy that is causing this deal to happen. Which I kind of find ironic. This just makes Jayce's character that much more special. In a world where two sides are fighting each other in a race to see who can "outscare" the other and who can become a bigger monster to stay "safe" in their own eyes. A young boy who's motives have maybe been the most pure of ANYONES in the show, is finally the one who sticks to his guns and uses "hextech to help others." and he involuntarily did. He made himself strong enough through hextech to be able to demand these things of Silco and create peace. Now of course, outside the confines of that conversation, it gets a bit more complicated. Silco would have never given Jinx up, and Jinx did what she did, but that doesnt change Jayce's motives, and what kind of person that reflects upon him.
All in all, I thank you for your immense dedication to unpacking this show, and I'm so happy you shined a light on a character that I think many of us on surface level wrote off as simply being someone who got manipulated by everyone and never had any conviction of his own. I can now see that Jayce absolutely was a lot more than that to many people.
I think another awesome parallel to the war is Sevika VS Vi this episode. On one side we have hex tech/Piltover and on the other we have chemtech/Zaun. And in this case we see that Jayce is probably right, Hextech and Piltover would win but just like VI’s fight. It wouldn’t be easy and they would lose a lot doing it. Chemtech and the undercutting, although ultimately losing, would go down kicking and screaming.
Yeah the line "the boy didn't even haggle" hits emotional strings on multiple levels because of this.
@@mitchelljones6726 Wow, I never thought of the Vi and Sevika fights as symbolic of the current states of Zaun and Piltover, really cool.
Babe wake up, the Aleczandxr movie dropped!
Heimerdinger founded the city and is hundreds of years old. Time passes him by so quickly the last time he was in the undercity was probably long before the circumstances that led to the original rebellion were even there. To him that was probably like visiting last year. Ekko can probably help him bridge the gap he had with Viktor and Jayce. Because Jayce and Viktor were inside his systems and the part of society he oversaw and were likely unchanged for a long time before hextech.
Though I don't fully agree with the charater rank in the end and didn't finished all the content, your video really counts! What a deep analysis for Arcane
When these walls come tumbling down are also lyrics of Guns for hire that plays when Jinx fires up the flare in Episode 6.
Yeah, another thing that's worth mentioning about Sevika's loyalty is that she also deeply values another aspect/trait of the person she sides with: a vision for the future.
While Vander was a very good leader, talking to everyone, actually caring about them and their well being, he was only concerned about maintaining the status quo, and nothing more (like, take at look what he said in Episode 2 when Vi asked: "What are we going do?", he responded: "I donno. I'll figure it out."). I think this lack of vision is ultimately what drives her away from Vander's side (along with all the things you've mentioned), but this trait is also possessed by another chacacter: Finn.
If you were to ask the question: 'Should Finn's plot became a reality, and he takes Silco's place, how much of the average Zaunite's life would change in any way?', I'd be hardpressed to find any answer at all. Finn only 'saw' until the moment Silco was killed, and never beyond that point in time, so, him being a man without an actual plan, made it quite obvious to Sevica (in my opinion) that he will not be a leader fit to realise her 'cause'.
And finally, while I understand your point of view that she was never going to betray Silco, her facial expressions in that scene give me the sense that she was still contemplating what to do, even then. While killing Finn would be pretty easy for her (emotionally speaking), if she were to kill Silco along with him, that would made her the new leader of the underground, able to do basically whatever she wanted, and realise the nation of Zaun through her own means. However, she still respects Silco a lot, and while he doesn't always do what's best for the people of Zaun (like flooding the lanes with Shimmer, causing most Zaunites to become addicted and change for the worse), his devotion to the 'idea' of the nation of Zaun is still something she seems to admire deeply, especially over this small temptation of power (although, that being said, it's also true that she doesn't appear to have any desire for power at all, and/or that she seems to like her position as a foot soldier a whole lot more).
I agree Sevika went from "random goon" to potentially leader of Zaun
Jayce's smile is kind of similar to Powder's smile in episode 3, both thinking they have solved alot of their issues before knowing the damage they have caused, and both connected to a big boom (which in some way were caused by themselves). Also, in one additional meaning of "The monster You Created", Jayce makes Silco into a monster when he says they want Jinx.
As always great reaction. You are so analytical and insightful which makes your discussion so fun to listen to no matter how long they are l will miss this reactions.
Jinx telling vi to make Caitlyn go away has a lot more emotional layers when you remember the story about monster's vi told Caitlyn in the previous episode. Vi said that she would chase away monster's for power and from Jinx's perspective enforcers are the monster's who have tormented her and the undercity since she was born. In fact the reason why she gaged Caitlyn and dressed her up in her enforcer outfit might have been to dehumanize her in vi's eyes.
I also really like how this act kinda concluded like act 1. Things are going well for the good guys and then jinx uses hextech to blow everything up. In the end she was a jinx to everything and that's poetically melancholic. I also like how the rocket is modeled after a shark since silco loved sea monster's so jinx must have made this to gift to silco and in a beautifully messed up way as the new jinx she uses this gift to destroy the symbol of the undercity's haterade.
Also if you think about it this series was about people and the weakness they have for there daughter's.
1.Vader chose to save vi instead of going to get revenge on silco.
2.silco wasn't willing to give up jinx even if it meant achieving his dream.
3. Mel's mother banished her because she could not stand the weakness she brought out of her.
4.Marcus didn't go against silco because of the risk it would bring to his daughter.
5.caitlyn's mother went to alot of lengths to keep her safe when she became an enforcer and l think at it core that was out of a sense of love.
i find it funny that in the dinner scene when jinx said to Vi "well i paid a visit to your girlfriend this morning" the first reflex of Violet was to look away because she thought Jinx killed Caitlyn. Even Jinx says she's not that crazy, it's a rather subtle sign but it just shows that Vi doesn't trust Jinx at all. On the other hand Silco never thought he would be killed, not even a split second. To me it shows just how much Silco trusted Jinx, even in the end he reassures her on his deathbed, it was just brilliant. While i might say otherwise, i don't think she actually loves the person Powder has become, she wanted her little sister back, but not the way she is now. Silco actually saw Jinx for what she had become, and she loved her. On his deathbed he didn't say "Jinx is perfect" but "YOU are perfect" it shows that in the end he didn't want to kill powder to have a sort of perfect version of Jinx, he wanted Jinx as she was, even with the powder side of her. Vi just wanted to kill the Jinx part of Powder, i don't think she sees any good in jinx, but Silco did, and he was killed for a love that might not even be there anymore, it's all the more tragic to me. While i agree that she would've tried to help her, i think her efforts might actually have been to try and change her to something closer to what she was 6 or 7 years ago, and i don't think it would've worked. In the end she would've loved powder, not Jinx.
I usually agree with you, but I got the exact opposite from the Sevika Scene. I saw that as a warning to Silco. That she was loyal to his cause, not to him. She could have easily handled Fin privately but she made a show of it in front of Silco. Making sure he knew she had the power to take his life.
and the reply "Not for a worm like him, but there will be others." I read that as "He wasn't worth it, but someone else might be."
I saw this as Sevika telling Silco to shape up.
I clarified this in the pinned comment.
Considering Silco's state at the start of the dinner scene, it's very probable that Jinx drowned him to unconsciousness... At the feet of Vander's statue.... Way to drive the betrayal home. And yet he still begs her to come back to him. And then she kills him. And he forgives her.
Anyone might say that Silco had lost his soul, but he sure had a heart.
The saddest part is Silco probably thought she chose Vi over him (for obvious reasons) but he still choose to comfort her and tell her “YOU are perfect” not Jinx or Powder basically saying no matter who she is she will always be perfect for him. Plus I think the voice we hear in her head is Silco, making her monsters(Mylo, Clager, Vander) that have been tormenting her all this time disappear.
27:09 crazy that you caught the parallel between that line and what ekko said in episode 1. i haven't seen any reactor see that parallel yet but only people in the comment section lol.
3 hours of discussion/reaction for the finale? I am extremely excited for this final deep dive and know how im passing time at work today when its slow.
I would argue Caitlyn did make a major choice. She could of killed jinx but didn't because her caring for vi and not just harming life. She's never shot to kill througout the show, even episode 5 when she could of clearly have taken sevika out she did not take that life
Yeah I dont think we give Caitlyn enough credit for "sticking to her guns" no pun intended. She's always stayed true to her morals and I think she should be commended for that, in a world where people are throwing their motives to the wayside for selfish reasons left and right.
Caitlyn was preparing to kill Jinx, she just didn't have enough confidence (due to Vi distracting her), and then Shimmered Jinx overpowered her.
I would like to suggest watching the "Enemy" music video, it contains a ton of extra story tidbits not included in the show.
saying the show is in your top50 to put emphasis on how excellent it is made me chuckle
me after spending more time watching the reaction & discussion than time spent on the actual show. As always great videos and awesome discussion.✨ on to season 2.
I've rewatched this entire reaction series twice now, and I have to say that out of ALLLLL the reactors I've watched (about 30ish), this one is the best. Its not even close.
That’s incredibly kind of you, thank you! Can’t wait to do it again for season 2!
@@ajgdude have you watched the Imagine Dragons ENEMY music video? If not, I’d LOVE to see a reaction for it. It’s literally backstory for Arcane
Wow, what a journey this has been. I enjoyed your reactions and analyses so much and I’m so glad to see a reactor consistently give my favourite character some love. Yes, it’s Jayce, with Mel being a close second. There’s not a lot of us in this fandom, but after checking out some of your other videos (the one on Boromir), I can see that we share a similar appreciation for unpopular characters who have to face difficult choices.
I’m really impressed just how many parallels you caught on the first watch because some of this stuff I only noticed on second or third rewatch. But I would just like to add another parallel to the ones you’ve pointed out. The choice Mel faces - the choice between two people she loves, her mother and Jayce - is very reminiscent of Jinx’s in a way. Here’s Jayce who accepts her fully, sees her for what she is and loves her unconditionally, and then there’s her mother who wants Mel to be someone else in order to be accepted. It’s a bit more ambiguous for Jinx because there’s still some remains of Powder inside, in spite Silco doing his damndest to fully empower the Jinx facet of her persona, but there can be no doubt that Vi isn’t ok with what Jinx stands for, she wants Powder only - someone that Jinx can never be. Similarly to how Mel can never be what her mother wants her to be. Really loved your note about what Jayce says to Mel in this episode: “I care about how you see me.” He wants to remain a man that’s worthy of her love. She chose him because of his idealism and desire to make the world a better place. He shows her just how much he values her and that he took all her lessons to heart by seeking an agreement with Silco. You can see in her expression just how shocked and touched she is by this, after all the conditions that her mother imposed on her. And before the rocket hits, you can see in the angle of her lips that she’s smiling back at him, probably the happiest and most openly emotional that she has ever allowed herself to be. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
Another interesting detail is that Jayce ends up killing a boy with technology inspired by the magic that saved his and his mother’s life when he was a boy about his age. And now here’s a mother who lost a son because of it. And Viktor ends up killing Sky, a Zaunite, one of the very people he sought to help with this tech for in the first place. Such dark twists of irony.
Subscribing and really looking forward to returning to this channel with season 2!
Awesome reaction and analysis for an awesome masterpiece of season 1. 👏
Thank you!
@@ajgdude your reactions for this amazing series are amazing I hope all reactions were so real and passionate instead of faking and screaming "OMGGGG NO WAY!"
You should defiantly react to Castlevania, it has amazing characters a deep story and outstanding visuals. It is a western animation but has an anime style and i feel like it would bring a lot of in depth discussions. I highly recommend it!
He'd have a field day with Isaac.
@@lockekappa500 ikr it would be beautiful 🙏🏾
Love your reactions! I didn't even notice that Silco said the same thing about Jayce that Ekko said "He didn't even haggle", good catch!
Something interesting I've always found was then Jinx said "You've changed" to VI. Cause for the majority of the series, Vi has always been herself. She still is someone who wears a heart on her sleeve and very action oriented. In retrospect, I realize something that is clear to me of how Vi changed. Whenever Powder made a mistake, Vi was always there to reassure her that it was okay (Exception of Ep.3 ofc.). She continually defend Powder. However, when the question stated to Caitlyn of who made the bomb, Caitlyn wasn't the one who answered, Vi answered it was Jinx. I see it as a strong shift of her character cause this is her acknowledging that Jinx is causing too much harm. Despite dearly loving Powder, she is hesitant on Jinx. And I do say hesitant for overall I do believe Vi will love Jinx despite who she become, however she also recognized that Jinx is causing too much harm as well and will stop her if she needs to.
Also in act 1 all Powder saw was Vi being vehemently opposed to Piltover and out to fight them in any way(violence or simply stealing from them). Now Jinx sees Vi is willing caring for a 'Piltie' showing sympathy towards the 'enemy'. It's parallel to Mels backstory and how she's fallen for Jayce. Unable to be the Fox and the Wolf when the situation deems it. Vi has shifted from being a wolf towards Piltover, instead channeling that towards Zaun. There's dialogue that suggest she wasn't proud of where she came from(calling being down there as 'lesser'). Wanting to escape their, with no idea/consideration on how to work toward improvement; she has the same lack of vision as Vander. And the visuals of when she returns in ep 5 of looking down at The Last Drop. Juxtaposed to that of her looking up to Piltover at the end of ep 1. Signifies Vi aspirations being met only through the trauma she endured and the source of it; which in her perception is narrowed toward Silco, by extension The Underground. Even though there's more at play(harken back to her and Vander lacking greater perspective).
@@jonathanjohnson6727 Yep. Jinx sees Vi now as somebody who is more like... "a mature hero" and Jinx is a force of chaos striving for change. Younger Vi was also striving for change, that's what Jinx means I think. She understands Vi is her enemy.
Extremely cool detail: The Fishbone rocket launcher that Jinx is using at the climax somewhat symbolizes Silco in my opinion. He always had this fascination with the giant sea creatures living in the sea creatures in the waters of Zhaun, so Jinx building this Hextech-Chemtech-Weapon for Silco in the image of a shark seems to me like a nod to him.
Edit: I read the part about Sevika telling Silco "This won't be the last (attempt to overthrow you)" a bit differently. I thought it to be a warning. Yes, I am loyal to you, but if a person worthy of my loyalty comes around and you keep slipping up, the outcome might be differet next time. Loved your indepht discussion tho, great understanding of narratives here.
Yeah, makes sense, since Silco's 'animal' that he's constantly associated with in the show is a Shark (just like how Jinx is always accociated with Ravens [meaning death and/or transformation], and Ekko with Firelights [symbolising how he's 'a light in the darkness' for Zaun]). A sea creature with very sharp teeth but a really fragile body, an absolutely perfect fit for Silco in my opinion.
The rocket also has his eye scar.
@@jeremyday4892 The details are insane!! Thanks for pointing it out!! 😀
I really enjoyed your reactions to Arcane and also like to listen to your talks about it afterwards too!
As someone who already went into this show with pre-existing knowledge of Runeterra, it was interesting hearing the opinion of someone without any
Your interpretation about Noxus is spot on.
Even though this season never directly showed Noxus (we did get a glipse of it in Mel's painting though), Mel's mother is the perfect representation of what Noxus is all about.
As for the Hex Core, there is a theory that the Hex Core and Shimmer are connected to something that has not been mentioned in the show yet, and I will not mention it here for potential spoiler reasons, and I' really interested if this theory turn out to be true because I fully believe it until the show gives me any reason to think otherwise
And I want to add my view on the dinner table scnen:
The way I see it, Vi is not able to accept Jinx the way she is now. Vi wants the old Powder back, but you can't just revert someone by 7 years. Vi has to come to terms with who Jinx is now for them to get closer.
Jinx tested everyone at that table, first Vi, then Silco and lastly Caitlyn.
When Jinx "made her a snack" she tested what Vi thought of her. If Vi still believed in her sister than she wouldn't have looked away when Jinx revealed the cupcake, but she did, showing that Vi has no trust in her just making a harmless joke. Then Vi refused to make Caitlyn "go away" (phrased in a way like with the imaginary monsters when they were children), it showed that Jinx isn't Vi's first and only priority anymore.
Yes, it is cruel of Jinx to ask Vi to kill Caitlyn, but in her mind it's the only way to be sure that she is the most important person in Vi's life.
In conclusion: Vi failed the test twice.
Then she tests Silco, and despite her kipnapping him, the first thing he does is to tell her how much she means to him and that he will never betray her.
He also shows how much trust he has in her by not trying to escape even once.
He easily passes this test.
Then Caitlyn. After Caitlyn frees herself and tells Jinx to drop her gun, Jinx raises her pistol but does not shot. to which Caitlyn fires some warning shots.
Jinx realises that Caitlyn didn't fire at her, she puts down her pistol and raises her hands. If Caitlyn would have lowered her gun here, the situation may have been defused at least a bit.
But she didn't, so Jinx rushed in for an attack, knocking her out.
Caitlyn failed the test.
Silco's last words are the only thing she needed to hear. That she is perfect just the way she is.
Something that she would not have gotten from Vi.
This solidifies her that she is Jinx.
But I don't think that Powder will ever be fully gone. Powder and Jinx two sides of the same coin now.
By the way her rocket launcher is called Fishbones.
As for other shows to react to, I think The Witcher or Castlevania are a good point to start.
I have watched many Arcane reactions, and I rarely ever watch the ones which go over 30 minutes, but it was an absolute pleasure to finish this series with you. With your excellent observations, your calm demeanor, and your strong emotional attachment to the characters. It is also rare that I actually learn anything new watching these reactions, but you noticed many things I didn't even realize. Great stuff
3 hours and 50% battery life and this amazing reaction series has come to a close. I think it's very safe to say you did the final episode and show as a whole justice. At this point I'm almost out of words. You've heard all the praises, nothings changed on that front :)
I have to say that I'm obviously looking forward to your main channel Arcane content, as well as other reactions in the future. I don't have anything that could live up to the standard of Arcane in mind right now, but how can we let you know suggestions for reactions going forward?
Now excuse me, I've got to rewatch the reaction itself and bawl my eyes out at that ending sequince once more :P
I’ve yet to watch the full reaction(will probably do so in the next few days). So you’ve probably mentioned this.
There’s a cool parallel between the first and the last scenes of the show. In the first scene, Vi sees the destruction brought by the enforcers and then looks at the council room with a look of hate in her eyes. In the last scene, Jinz/Powder acts out on that hate and fires a rocket to the symbol of their hatred.
But both Vi and Powder/Jinx have changed. Vi isn’t the hate filled person she was in the first scene. In fact she’s pretty much worked with the enforcers since Act 2. While Powder/Jinx isn’t the little girl that turns her eyes from the carnage.
But can you blame her? Everybody in her life pushed hard for war with Pilltover. Except Vander really. Look at episode 2, Vi and Mylo are really looking forward to a war there. Powder never got the same treatment from Vander as Vi did. From her POV, Vi spent all her life hating enforcers and when she sees her back, she is in bed with them.
Yep, Vi definitely changed and is now more comfortable with the larger status quo
Jinx is the opposite
Great reaction and insights into the characters, thank you. I'm not really surprised by your ranking, you made it clear that Jayce is the most interesting character for you throughout your other videos. :) My personal top 5 are Jinx, Vi, Silco, Caitlyn (the characters around whom most of the Undercity action was centered), Viktor. For #6 I'm split between Jayce and Ekko. On my first time watching I was a bit dismissive of Jayce, but he grew on me over time (at first he did not seem to have too much agency; Vi put it bluntly: a victim, i.e., a passenger driven by outside forces). For Jinx I feel the biggest emotional attachment, and I thought her to be the most interesting character. And I very much liked the dynamic between Vi and Caitlyn.
Oh boy, let's get into this behemoth of a video. I was a bit intimated by the length at first, but quickly concluded that a 3,5 hour video is exactly the kind of send-off this amazing show deserves. See you on the other side xD
Gotta get popcorn first for this feature film of a video.
3 hours?? AWESOME lol. it’s been a great ride man, you made mondays a day to look forward to. i’m definitely sticking around the channel so i can’t wait to see what comes next!
How did I not see this video before, this is brilliant. EXCACTLY the type of videoes I love to watch. GOOD DISCUSSION AND ANALASYS!!
Regarding the ep 9 title, I agree with what you said, I also think the monster could be the undercity, while it is the upper city which created it.
Great reaction/commentary as always.
Quick book-keeping note: episode 8 is missing from the arcane reaction playlist on your channel.
Wonderful analysis. Thank you for the entire series. Just one point. You alluded to but did not state the flip side to Jinx being "The Monster You Created" is the Hexcore. And both influenced by both Hextech and Shimmer. Jinx steals a Hextech gem and creates a Hextech weapon, and is healed but made more unstable by Shimmer. And the Hexcore created of Hextech and Victor's Shimmer laced blood.
Your analysis is truly a breath of fresh air, you've been so perceptive of the most minute yet profound details that many of us missed the first time (or first few times) watching. What I most appreciate is your in-depth analysis of Silco's nuanced character. Just fantastic. You pointed out so many intriguing parallels...I loved all 3 hours of this video.
I think this new anime called Ousama Ranking would make for brilliant reaction content. The show's character work and overall plotting has been phenomenal so far.
Seconded, it’s probably anime of the year material.
haha I watched this video over a week or two just bits and pieces. but finished it now.... SSS tier reaction and discussion video goes to you
I mean the fact that i'm definite on finishing such a behemoth of a video just tells you how much AJ's content is TOP TIER especially when he's THAT invested into a series
Sevika seems to respect STRENGTH above all else -- remember her parting words to Vander, "No, you look WEAK." Sevika wouldn't change allegiance for "A worm like [Finn]", which hints that if someone stronger than Silco came along as a champion/leader for the cause of "The Nation of Zaun" -- then she will likely work for that person. I can see her getting along with Momma Medarda (if she survives the bomb), as you said they are both wolves, but I'm not sure if their interests will align.
They definitely don't align at all
I'm not sure where Sevika goes from here, either she takes over or there's a new leader but then her being the assistant again might feel repetitive
Phenomenal series Alec, your reactions/analysis have really elevated this already magnificent show for me, and your enjoyment of the process makes it all the more worthwhile. Challenging yourself like this is healthy, so the reception you've recieved warms my heart. I'm sure whatever show you decide to take on next will prove worthwhile as well, no matter if it exceeds Arcane or not.
If you want suggestions, I'd recommend "The Legend of Vox Machina" which is airing at the moment because I personally find the character nuances appealing, though I'm sure there are other shows that could fit your requirements even better.
Godspeed, and many thanks for sharing!
Jinxs 2 weapons are called pow pow that her minigun, and fishbone, thats the rocket launcher
There we have it. I would go as far as calling this series a masterpiece and it’s certainly not a word than should be just thrown around. A series that grows richer on a rewatch. A series that actually needs a rewatch to fully grasp the complexities. There’s so little fat on this series, everything has a relevance or a connection to everything else. I appreciate your attention on Sevika, an increasingly interesting character, often just wrongly dismissed as a simple villain by many other commentators.
37:15 So uh I think I recognize the beard on that corpse Singed has hanging there. I'm glad you seem as interested in Heimerdingers interactions with Ekko as I am. I was actually chuckling when you were suspicious of him going to the Undercity because Heimerdinger is the one character in this show utterly bereft of guile. Others go to the opera to plot, Heimer goes...because he likes opera music. So when Jayce says he doesn't know what happens in the Undercity he goes "surely it can't be as bad as all that, I was just there the other day...or was it the other decade?" It's been a ton of fun seeing a non League fan go through this series. There are some cool things you'll get if you know the game but it's a distraction as often as it's a bonus. You can miss some important stuff waiting for the character to do this or that thing from the game. This has been an amazing series and an immensely entertaining reaction series. There are contradictions between this and game lore and I hope they just yeet the old lore and say Arcane is canon, they've done larger lore remakes for less reason. Anyway the rest of this comment is just a game lore vs Arcane lore not mentioning anything that could spoil a future season 2.
Zaun technically should have become a nation around the time the riot in the opening scene of the show happened if not a bit sooner for example. But having it come into being in the formative years of our main cast is so good. Stanwick is a statue of a failed scientist that founded a school that let others triumph rather than being the headmaster of the academy that's still kicking, I like this better as Heimerdinger fufills our traditional scientist role and having him talk about a dead colleague also drives in his long life and how out of touch this makes him. The one thing I do wish they hadn't done was remove Jayce's arrogance almost completely. After inventing hextech Jayce went about peacocking more and more. Golden Boy was a term that started with his encouragement not with him letting it mostly wash over him. It took until an event where hextech took lives for him to become more grounded and step up.
Character tierlist timestamp: 3:01:49
One parallel that isn't commented on is silco and vi, as silcos arc is a much more played out version of vi's in the first two episodes. When vi first learns that Vander is working with an enforcer, she berates him and proclaims that vander should fight for equality even if it means fighting enforcers. Vander stops her by showing her the bridge and asking if she's ready to bear the losses that would come from an uprising, and I got that they were talking about losing powder. This caused her to go off that path and try to turn herself in, giving up the idea of an uprising for the sake of powder. In this episode, silco, who also lost respect for vander for making a deal with enforcers, when faced with losing the same person, tries to shoulder the blame, and then gives up his goal of forcing equality for the sake of jinx. And like vi, this restores his respect for vander
What a ride it was!
Thank you so much for your reactions and discussion, it was best few hours spend on TH-cam for years
Awesome! Best arcane reactor imho
Oh wow you are one of the best reactors I've seen, I am subscribing and then going back to watch all your Arcane content
Thank you for your amazing content!! No need to apologise when you "over talk" haha, I see a 3+ hr video and can't wait to love every minute of it.
When jinx shot the rocket, she remembers the first words silco spoke to her
Yes 😭
Watching your reaction and hearing your thoughts is an experience. Your attention to details, as well as ability to see the bigger picture of the show, remember characters and follow arc of each of them, and, of course, the way you present your thoughts are second to none.
Thank you. Not only have you provided me the way to re-live my experience of watching this amazing show fully, but you've opened my eyes on certain aspects of it that I overlooked, none of the reacting people on youtube managed to do that in such way.
I feel a bit guilty even to get that for free, I'll pay visit to your patreon page, although I never use that. Once again, thank you for sharing this.
P.S.
If you're not making a good salary on the way you can analyse and explain - you definitelly should. You have a talent for this.
I’m making money on my main channel, though not on this one now that the Arcane reactions are done. It’s definitely not a good salary but it’s equivalent to a part-time job or something. Glad you enjoyed the reactions, thanks for the kind words!
the way sevika directly confronted Vander at the start was some real shit. not going with silco would be betraying herself. Plus shes simply cool and is always ready to throw down
I've seen a lot of reactions with the closed captions on. Now for the first time I notice a grave oversight. Sting's song at the end, is basically the only commentary to the scene which runs almost completely without dialogue. Yet instead of actually captioning the lyrics for the hearing impaired the only thing the captions have to say is [Somber Music plays].
A bit weak of them to forget that, isn't it?
This is the only reaction series I watch. It’s amazing and so detailed. I would love to here some character studies on the main channel if you see fit. Take care and have a great year.
A Jayce video is up there, if you haven’t seen it already!
I can go through this >3h longitud without any trouble. This is what I've been waiting for .
BTW, I think most of us were as emotional as you when we reached the end. Sylco is a villain, but here ,you see, he was also able to love and that made him more human.
out of all the reactors for arcane i must say i found myself drawn to your reactions the most, very satisfying to watch someone grasp so many little details from the get-go! now im not sure if you mentioned this already somewhere, but there are sure videos about arcane to come on your main channel right?
th-cam.com/video/F6unLJQX0Pg/w-d-xo.html
@@justmyopinion79 much appreciated
I can't figure a way to say it as well, so here's a comment from another video.
ReelRai
5 months ago
Silco blew me away in this series. He's one of the best villains I remember in a looooong time.
He started out as a hideous villain. Someone who hated Vander for leaving the cause. And throughout the series we're not sure, if his care for Jinx is geniune or if he's just playing her, using her for his needs. I'm sure in the beginning, Silco just wanted to use her, and saw a little bit of himself in her. But by the end... oh damn. Silco is in the same position as Vander was and... he understands. He can't give up Jinx for Zaun. Zaun that he has worked his entire life to achieve, all undone by a daughter.
Vi loved Powder, and wanted Powder back. But Powder changed, and there was nothing but Jinx left. The only one who unconditionally loved Jinx, was Silco, and I think that's what the end scene is about. Jinx wanted Vi to love her, love what she had become, love Jinx. But after killing Silco she realizes he was the only one who really cared for her, no matter what she had become, and thus Jinx chose to sat on the Jinx chair.
It's a twisted father-daughter relationship, but goddamn if it isn't well done, and goddamn if I didn't tear up when Silco died.
Personally, Jinx is my favorite character.
I've been loving your reactions and insights to this series. I enjoyed watching this show affect you as you watched. I was wondering if it would after you stated (paraphrased from an earlier episode) that you weren't going to be a particularly animated reactor.
When Jinx is talking to Vi about how she created Jinx, I've always looked at it like Vi was supportive(in Jinx's head) and helped build her up. As if she continued to support her like when they were together. Jinx looks at her current personality as a strength that helps her survive.
Love that you were reppin´ a united hoodie! And thanks for the AOT stream on Twitch today, it was the first time I´ve really hung out in a stream for more than 2 hours! Super enjoyable experience and it´s always fantastic to hear your thoughts and analysis! Excited to keep watching and partaking!
Much appreciated pal, thank you!
Awesome reaction man! It's been a delight watching you. Also just wanted to say, don't apologize for the show moving you or getting emotional because of it, it just shows you are into the show you're watching and appreciate what they're doing man!
When you talked about how after the child’s death and conflict with Vi concerning that and jayce made his first real decision by himself. It’s a thing to point out unlike everyone else in his corner Vi and Zaun are not who he spend/spent all his time trying to impress and even really cares for.
I’m a little late to the party on this reaction lol, but I absolutely loved your analysis! I hope to see more reaction/analysis videos from you. Maybe movies too if you want to do in depth reactions on something that don’t take up too much of your time??
Glad you enjoyed. You can follow my main channel for analysis videos! th-cam.com/users/Aleczandxr
I watched this episode maybe 30 times and every time i lose the fight vs. my tears.
This never happend 2 me, no other show, no movie or what ever hurts me like Arcane.
But its the best thing i ever saw - its just a masterpiece
There are no boring characters, not a single one, i love them all....what n amazing storytelling
(sry4my bad english)
You can watch my reactions to Attack on Titan early on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr
For more informal content and streams, you can follow me on Twitch: www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/
Quick correction: I pretty much misinterpreted a scene in the episode - Sevika's words to Silco should be interpreted as a veiled threat for him to get his shit together for reasons I described when I talked about why she left Vander. This is the far more accurate reading of that scene than I proposed in the video.
Don't know if you've seen any of theses: Bleach(it'll be making its highly anticipated return), ATLA or Castlevania. After AOT of course Regardless, thank you for theses deep dives and expansive looks into Arcane.
Vi repeatedly betrayed Powder/Jinx. She turned over Jinx in less than a second to the council, every opportunity she had to stay by powder/jinx she didn't, she always choose something else over powder/jinx. Vi always lied that powder was her first priority, she lied to herself and everyone else, but every opportunity she had to prove it without literally being tied to a chair, she didn't. Silco never betrayed anyone, especially not Jinx. He stood up for her against all of his allies and enemies, even though he dressed her down in private to reign her in. Loyalty is so powerful, but you can never undo a betrayal, you can never undo abandonment. Vi and Jayce started an attack on Silco, Jayce left Vi armed with his weapons in Silco's territory while calling for Parley. Jayce says that he saw that the undercity wouldn't stand a chance. Woof, boy is he naive. If Silco had outright rejected the opportunity, Jayce would have armed the upper city soldier with all his hextec weapons and invaded the undercity... and found it deserted, when they emerged he would have found the uppercity occupied by shimmer infused undercitizens, all of the uppercity citizens captured and held ransom... Remember Markus betrayed the Uppercity, not because of what they could give him, but because of what they could take away from him. There was nothing the uppercity was willing to give the lower city that they could not take, and there was nothing more they could take from them. The Undercity had now taken the upper hand. Indolence, indifference, and baleful neglect was the undoing of the uppercity of Piltover.
I love your perspective. Wish more people could understand Vi has chosen the status quo and safety over (needed) change
Thank you for this series of videos. It was very, very entertaining to listen to. I'll definitely donate to your PayPal in the coming couple days. I think you deserve it for all the effort put in and the entertainment provided. Beautiful work.
My favorite character is also Jayce by quite a huge margin. Not sure how with so much praise this ranks only in the 50s of all fiction you've consumed (can't imagine what else is on the list since for me Arcane is either the number 1 or number 2 of all time despite only having 1 season - granted I've played League of Legends for 9 years and this affected me very personally). This season was definitely about Jinx and Silco's story. They are pretty much the only characters with a complete arc. And since I'm here already, I'd like to mention one last tragic thing about Jinx:
Imagine losing your parents in a civil war, being taken in, cared for and loved, personally resulting in the death of your father figure and then being taken in, cared for and loved, and again resulting in the death of your subsequent father figure. Jinx lost four parents in the span of this series, the last two being of her direct actions and in front of her. The amount of of turmoil in the mental health this has is just unbelievable. Kudos to the writers. So long Powder. The name of the Shark Bazooka is Fishbones, her minigun is Pow-Pow (never had any significance until episode 6 of Arcane), Zapper is her handgun and the grenades are Flame Chompers. This is not official in Arcane but it is according to the canon lore of Runeterra (the world of the characters of LoL) and the game itself.
Thanks again for the great entertainment. Love the length of the video. A positive MauLer :]
Hear me out: What if she fully committed to being Jinx because she knew if she went back to being Powder, to being by her side , she could put Vi at risk of also being killed by her, which she fundamentally doesn't want. I'm saying that because I do think Jinx does deeply love Vi, even in her weird fucked up way.
Hmm... I don't know. She did shoot at Caitlyn when she was right by Vi? On the bridge
I think Jinx understands Vi will never be like her, Vi wants "stability" and "protection" and Jinx wants "radical change"
Finally, someone else who understands how fricking great Jayce is
What is Zaun but a city of loyalty, abandoned by its bigger sibling over a tragic event? Abandoning Jinx would never be in favor of Silco's dream, regardless of what Jayce could offer, Jinx IS the dream. Silco offered his own life for hers, literally to die for his dream, but Jayce didn't even haggle, it has Piltover's way or no way; the same way that Vander and Vi were ok with, which Silco felt so betrayed by. What Jinx asked Vi to do was unfair, but it was also what Vander refused to do: fight against Piltover, the decision was between the child at the bottom of Piltover, or the monster at the top of Zaun. Silco loves Jinx, Silco loves Zaun, but you can't have Zaun if you'd sacrifice your family for it, even Vander understood that. And after that, what could Silco do but be ok with his dream killing him?
You should definitely do a reaction series for the final season of Better Call Saul
Please dont spoil him about Singed's scene, thanks guys :)
Great reaction & review 👏🏻
Great reactions and analysis.
Super late commenter here, but I'm so glad I found this reaction! I haven't finished yet, paused at where Jinx makes her choice at the end. I wanted to know your thoughts, because I've had a theory ever since I saw this episode.
I think if Silco had killed Vi with his shot, she would have sat in the Powder chair. I think she set herself up for a lose-lose here. Thoughts? You might talk about it later, but had to comment~ Thanks for an awesome reaction!
Something another youtuber pointed out was that powder's eyes are grey and jinx's eyes are blue, I haven't fully tested this yet but it seems to hold up from what I have seen!
I'm sure you'll find out about that man's body on singed ceiling in season 2. It'll be great.